Chapter 38: The Arrival of the Younger Sister

Before graduation, his startup was already clearing seventy million in profit.

He possessed a brilliant mind, yet even after independently researching and developing a new algorithm, he had managed to keep it completely under wraps.

According to Xiao Qian, the agent they called "Hound" had gone silent. Such a talent, with a much larger stage awaiting him, would hardly be content working as a technician for State Security.

What bothered Hound the most, however, was Li Ping'an’s lack of trust. Yet, it was the cold, hard truth; he could not guarantee the algorithm wouldn't be leaked. Fortunately, Xiao Qian spoke up in time, suggesting they apply for patent protection.

"Let’s go. Back to the bureau."

Meanwhile, just as the State Security agents stepped downstairs, Li Ping'an was pulled into an office by his academic counselor, Wang Jingwen. Unlike the tea-sipping atmosphere of the conference room, the counselor took two cans of cola directly from a mini-fridge on her desk and handed one to Li Ping'an.

"They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

Li Ping'an took the cola, thanked her, and shook his head. "No, they just came to ask about Sun Yutong."

"That's good."

Taking a sip of the soda, Wang Jingwen patted Li Ping'an on the shoulder with a smile. "You should be glad. That Sun Yutong was a spy. It’s fortunate she was discovered early; otherwise, heaven knows what kind of trouble she might have brought upon your company."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can head back. I still have to go report this to the Dean."

"Understood, Ms. Wang."

After saying goodbye to his counselor and taking the elevator down, Li Ping'an saw that the spot where the black car had been parked was now empty. The State Security agents had already driven away. That made sense; having obtained the "Artificial Intelligence Learning Algorithm" they wanted, they were surely in a hurry to return and verify it.

Even though tomorrow was May Day and the holiday was set to begin that afternoon, Li Ping'an walked into the incubator base to find everyone unusually quiet, with worried expressions on their faces. Seeing their boss arrive, especially with his calm demeanor, only made them more anxious. If he fired them now, what would happen to their internship certifications?

Li Ping'an closed the door to Room 201, set down his laptop bag, and sat directly in the seat Sun Yutong had occupied. After a long silence, he sighed.

"It seems you all know about Sun Yutong."

"You only know that she was taken away by State Security, but I suspect you don't know the specific reason."

"Yesterday evening, Sun Yutong used a flash drive to copy files from the company server and then made contact with intelligence operatives. It’s as simple as that."

"Now, do you understand why I only let you access the front end and kept you away from the back end?"

"Curiosity killed the cat. I hope that for the remainder of your time here until graduation, you won't let your curiosity ruin your lives."

"Other than that, everything remains the same. Everyone, get back to work."

With that, Li Ping'an stood up, picked up his laptop bag, and walked into his own small workspace. Suddenly, the remaining seven employees felt much more at ease.

At 5:00 PM, as the clock struck, everyone didn't forget to greet Li Ping'an before leaving for the holiday.

"Boss, we're heading out."

"Mm, alright."

"Remember to keep your receipts so you can get reimbursed when you get back."

In his office, Li Ping'an checked the time. He hadn't realized it was already five. He frowned—why hadn't his younger sister called? Unable to wait any longer, he dialed her number.

"Hello? Big brother, I just arrived at the county seat and I'm transferring buses."

"Big brother, make sure you didn't get the time wrong! My flight arrives in the capital at 9:55 PM tonight, not tomorrow night."

Listening to his sister’s worried tone, Li Ping'an felt a headache coming on. He was the one who bought the tickets; would he really get the time wrong?

"Don't worry, I know. I'll be at the airport to pick you up."

"Stay in touch. Don't get into any conflicts with anyone on the road, okay?"

"I know, big brother. I'm not an eight-year-old kid anymore."

"Alright, big brother, that's it. The bus is here. I'll contact you on WeChat later."

Dragging her suitcase onto the bus heading to the provincial capital, Li Ya finally had some free time. Putting on her headphones, she opened a short-video app and searched for "How a novice should fly." From childhood to now, she had only seen what planes looked like; she had never actually been on one!

Watching the video’s introduction, Li Ya’s heart tightened. What? There’s a weight limit for luggage on a plane?

Li Ya looked at the suitcase by her feet and fell into deep thought. It was packed with local specialties her aunt had prepared for her to bring to her brother. It was heavy—at least forty or fifty pounds.

Just as Li Ya was feeling overwhelmed, not knowing how to handle the suitcase, the video blogger continued: "Of course, if you purchased a business class ticket, you get a free checked baggage allowance of 30 kilograms. Conversely, business class seats are much more expensive than economy."

Seeing this, Li Ya patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, if she remembered correctly, her brother had booked her a business class seat.

It was only a two-hour flight from the provincial capital to the capital. Thinking about flying that night, Li Ya felt both nervous and incredibly excited. Her brother had been in university for three years since graduating high school, and every time he traveled between home and school, he had taken the train. He had never even been on a plane!

Under the night sky, the bright airport terminal was magnificent, its massive glass curtain walls as clear as mirrors, separating the bustle inside from the darkness outside. Li Ping'an waited at the arrival gate, standing tall, his eyes scanning the depths of the corridor from time to time.

Waves of people emerged, and Li Ping'an stood on his tiptoes to look. Before long, his sister’s figure appeared, her small frame dragging a suitcase that was nearly as tall as she was. She walked with a light, brisk pace, a joyful smile on her face. Clearly, Li Ya had already spotted her brother waiting for her.

Li Ping'an strode forward, took the suitcase, and the siblings smiled at each other.

"How was it? Was the trip smooth?"

Li Ya nodded. "It was smooth enough, but I was still a bit scared flying."

"Big brother, you wouldn't believe it—when the plane first took off, I didn't even dare to breathe."

"The uncle sitting next to me even told me not to be nervous."

Following behind Li Ping'an, Li Ya chattered incessantly, wishing she could teach her brother everything about how to fly.

"Hey, hey, hey, big brother, can't you look after your little sister with short legs?"

"You take one step for every two of mine, you know!"

Looking back at his sister, who was chirping like a little sparrow, Li Ping'an laughed. "I'm just letting you get a head start on feeling the fast-paced life of a big city."

"Hurry up, we need to catch the subway."

"The hotel is already booked. You only have one task tonight: figure out which places you want to visit over the next few days."